Meditation by Sri Chinmoy is a short guide to the fundamentals of learning to meditate. Split into different chapters, Meditation deals with both the basics and advanced issues of meditation. For example Sri Chinmoy explains how breathing and concentration exercises can be used to calm the mind. There are also sections on Samadhi and the highest experiences of meditation.
Throughout the book there are question and answer sections. These include questions, common to all beginners of meditation. For example, a very common problem that people experience when learning to meditate is; “how to silence the mind?” Sri Chinmoy advises that the best place to meditate is in the spiritual heart. It is in the heart that a seeker is able to distance himself from the critical thinking mind. If one can enter into the heart it is possible to experience the silence and expanse of real meditation.
“If you meditate in the heart, you are meditating where the soul is… If you want illumination, you have to get it from the soul, which is inside the heart.”
Meditation is invaluable reference book; it is not necessary to read it from beginning to end and try to absorb all the information at once. It is a book, which can be dipped into from time to time. Also to get the most from the book meditation, it is also essential to try and practise the various exercises offered. ‘Meditation’ is not so much concerned with the theory of meditation but how it can be of practical use in helping a seeker in their own meditation.
As well as offering clear advice about the basics of meditation, reading this book “Meditation” will offer encouragement and inspiration to begin and continue meditating. One short chapter is titled “Do not Give Up” Sri Chinmoy encourages the reader to persevere with meditation even as difficulties arise.
There are also numerous aphorisms offering a poetic inspiration for meditation. For example one aphorism of Sri Chinmoy says:
“Do you need happiness? Then do just three things: Meditate regularly. Smile soulfully, Love untiringly.”
These short aphorisms make a useful complement to the text and guidelines on meditation.
Sri Chinmoy writes with a clarity that stems from his own inner experiences of meditation. ‘Meditation’ helps to clear the obstacles a newcomer may experience. It offers a simple and practical approach to improve your meditation. It is invaluable for beginners but also serves as a reference even for those who have been meditating for along time. Meditation by Sri Chinmoy is an important reminder of the fundamentals of meditation and its inherent simplicity.
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Sri Chinmoy Books
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